Delusion
by To.Olympus.Allonsy
Summary: What's real, what's not, he doesn't know. He feels trapped, like the air in his lungs is getting vacuumed out, and the dark shadows laugh at his weakness. Every day is a nightmare that never seems to end -OR- Percy suffers from PTSD after Tartarus


**~Happy Reading!**

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He didn't know what was real.

He didn't know what was real or not, a figment or reality. Any direction he looked, he swears he sees something in the corner of his eye, but turns and nothing is there but emptiness and shadows. He shakes it out of his head, yet the thoughts creep back in once they are gone.

He can't find the energy to do anything. He's going to be a freshman in college, he's supposed to be working and studying, trying to make his grades count for something even though he already chose his school. He sits, riptide in hand, afraid something may come attack him.

The shadows are spreading, the voices growing more and more cold each day, in more agony than before, wailing, wailing, wailing begging him why he had to do what he did, how they had as much of a right to live as him. He's screaming, closing his ears, pleading them to leave him alone. He feels the darkness closing in, drowning him and filling his insides with cold air.

He looks over, he sees a figure leaning over his doorway. He jumps back in shock, uncapping his sword and stands ready to fight. He screams for it to get back, to leave, but the creature's beady, yellow eyes just stare amusingly, as though it were never going to take an order. It snarls, taking his words as a joke and puts a foot forward, tempting him, warning him that it'll take a step closer if he tried any funny business. He stumbled backwards, eventually discovering he had nowhere to run. Out of desperation, he drops his sword and cowers away.

Annabeth finds him pressed against the wall, screaming and covering his ears. They're gut curdling, ear-piercing screams. She can't stand it, she's terrified, she stays frozen at the sight. She runs to him, pulling him to a tight embrace and runs her fingers through his hair, just the way he likes it. She's terrified, desperate. He's hyperventilating, refusing to open his eyes even with the love of his life holding him. No. He doesn't feel safe, not yet. He can never feel safe.

"You're okay, you're okay. Percy, can you hear me? Percy. Percy! I've got you, you're alright, I'm right here." Annabeth pleads desperately, trying to calm him down to the best of her ability. They were alone in his apartment. She wants to make sure he knows that he's safe, and no one is around he doesn't have to keep up the act. He doesn't have to act happy, pretend things are okay, pretend like Tartarus never happened. "Shh, I'm right here. Percy, please."

Percy snaps out of trance, opening his green orbs slowly and blinks multiple times, like he was trying to get rid of dust in his eyes. Annabeth manages a small smile, relieved he snapped out of out. "That's it, Percy. You're alright. You're alright, Percy."

Percy looks up, finding the safety in her grey eyes. She's smiling softly, and he knows she's trying to pull him back into the world. His breaths are shaky, small and quick, struggling to catch a decent breath, to breathe normal air, to make his heartbeat go back to normal. He fingers her curls, twisting a few, and brushes his thumb over her smooth cheek. "Annabeth..."

She breathes out a small laugh, taking a hold of his hand. "Yes, I'm right here."

He's still shaking, leaning on Annabeth as she holds his shoulders. She's cuddling him with his arms wrapped around her waist. He examines the room with fearful eyes, checking to see if the creature was still present. "Where-where is it?"

"Where's what?" She whispers. She looks around the room, finding nothing. "Percy, there's nothing here. It's just us."

"N-no. No!" He pulls himself out of her arms, turning his head left and right frantically. "It-it was in here! It-it was coming at me! I-I-"

"Percy, we're not there anymore." Annabeth confirms. She avoids the word, because even she can't say it without going crazy herself. "We're out, we're safe, and we're together. Remember?"

_No. _He wants to scream it from the rooftops. He wants to tell the world he still feels trapped, that he's not okay, and that experience is engraved in his mind permanently. Instead, he says, "Y-yes. I-I'm sorry. I'm-"

"Stop. You have nothing to be sorry for." She says harsher than intended. "You've got absolutely nothing to be sorry for." She's trying to blink back tears, since that whole situation felt like her fault. Her pride is what got them dragged down there, she was the one who started the mess, it was all her _fault_.

Percy looks at her, almost like he was reading her thoughts. She could swear that it looked like he was say, _no it's not. It's not your fault_.

Annabeth accidentally allows one tear to fall. It falls quickly, reaching her lip before she had time to wipe it away. Percy sighs. "C'mere."

She moves close to him, burying her face in his shoulder as he wraps a protective arm around her. She's completely silent, and so is he. Her shoulders shudder from her quiet sobs, and he gently caresses her hair to make her feel better. Except, she might not feel better, and neither will he. So they sit, knowing that this moment is real, and relish in the sound of silence.

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**I know, I haven't been here in like seven hundred years? Like whattup with that?**

**Anyways, hey! Nice to see you guys again. It's been a while, I know, but I definitely blame AP classes. Like, why is it that the American government just HAD to create these classes in 1955? Ridiculous.**

**Like many of you, AP tests are right around the corner (*cue sobs*). I'm supposed to be studying, but I thought I might as well post a small thing since it's been so long. Besides, we got like no PTSD in Blood of Olympus which to me, even being a children's book, was odd and unreasonable.**

**Good luck to those who are taking AP tests, study hard and go get those 5s! To those who aren't, consider yourself lucky.**

**Review this maybe? Thanks! **


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